Tuesday, March 22, 2011

What a Wonderful World

Here is my latest film project that I've entered in LEAF (Leaders of Environmental Action Films) California High Schoolers video contest. I'm really excited about the contest, and hope you enjoy my video!



A note about the music - I arranged the piece (What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong) and played it on the ukulele. My good friend Karen plays the cello. We recorded it at my uncle's house (a special "Thanks" to Uncle T for letting us use his recording studio)!

post by Carly

Addendum (4-7-11)
My film is one of the 15 finalists in the contest! The films will be shown at this Earth Day Event on April 17th!

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Now We're REALLY Cookin'!


Chef Nate makes Fried Apples (he wanted to call them Apple Souffles, until we told him souffles puff up and are made with eggs). Here is the recipe according to Nate (he made it up)...

Ingredients:
One apple
1/2 Cup flour
some cinnamon
agave (or honey or maple syrup)
a cube of butter

Directions:
Slice an apple into circles (or rings). Spread agave on both sides of each apple ring. Dip apples into flour & cinnamon mixture. Put butter in a pan over medium heat. Put the floured apple rings in the pan and cook them until both sides are lightly browned. Eat while still warm ~ Enjoy!



Friday, March 11, 2011

First Signs of Spring

Here are some pictures that I took the other day of the first signs of spring.
It's going to be a gorgeous one!

--by micayla








Spring is'a com'in

If you would like to see more of my photographs you can go to:



Friday, March 4, 2011

New Spice Commercial

Nate and I (Micayla) made a " New Spice " commercial (after the Old Spice commercial).
Here it is! Enjoy!


Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Ben at Bowers




We recently took a trip to Bowers Museum to see the Benjamin Franklin exhibit. It was filled with fun hands-on and interactive displays. We would definitely recommend seeing it, but hurry because the exhibit closes on March 13th.


Carly took a ton of notes and came home and wrote this:

All about Benjamin Franklin

By Carly Stone


Benjamin Franklin was an extraordinary person and asset to early America, and the world, for that matter. He was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, and an inventor, scientist, musician, writer, and printer. He was born on Milk Street in Boston, New England in 1706. He was the ninth child of eleven children!


Some of the things that Ben Franklin invented were the Glass Armonica, which is a glass instrument that plays certain pitches when rubbed and tapped gently with water. He also invented the first Pennsylvania fire place, and the microscope. He is known as well, for creating spectacles that have different shaped glass in them. You can look up in one lens and see things up close, and down and see things regular. One of his finest achievements was his work with electricity. He invented the electric rod that stuck in the roof of a house, and connected with a chain to another rod, that stuck in the ground. When storms came, and lightning struck, it would strike the rod, and protons and neutrons wouldn’t collide, making the house shatter, instead keeping the house intact.


Benjamin Franklin only attended school for two years, and when he did, failed math twice. He was an avid homeschooler and delighted in self-education, reading the classics, pondering the world, asking questions, experimenting and looking at the ‘big picture’. He played the violin, guitar and harp, and wrote songs and sang to friends. Plus he was an incredible writer at age sixteen. Ben Franklin was also very close with animals, especially squirrels (known in the eighteenth century as ‘Skuggs’), and he shipped one once to his friend Deborah who was living in another state!


He traveled from Philadelphia to Boston, and in 1723 was an apprentice to his older brother James, as a printer. He married Deborah, and they had three children, William (who was an illegitimate son, and no one knows who his real mother was), Francis and Sally. Francis, the first child of theirs, died of smallpox as a toddler. This caused tremendous grief to Deborah and Benjamin. They suffered greatly from the loss of Francis.


As far as Ben Franklin’s health goes, he did suffer from a type of arthritis from consumption of beer and lots of red meat! He was the oldest member of the constitution, yet did not believe all of what the constitution stated. He charted the Gulf Stream, and helped come up with ideas to found the first fire station team. Poor Richard’s Almanac was published in 1733 which he wrote. He published many books, and printed many books!


Everyone will remember Benjamin Franklin for his great accomplishments and work with building the United States. He was an excellent person with many great attributes and contributed all his discoveries to make the world a better place.